Jack Tramiel, one of the PC industry’s pioneers has passed away. The father of the iconic legendary computer, the Commodore 64 was born in 1928 and after surviving a prison stint in Auschwitz followed by another concentration camp during World War II, he established the ‘Commodore’ business name in 1953. His most celebrated endeavor was the Commodore 64 which was one of the first computers that was ever built for the masses, not for the classes as Tramiel put it later on in his life. Although no one uses a Commodore today, the legacy lives on in how his device made the concept of a home computer popular.
Along with the C64, readers might remember other less iconic devices such as the Vic-20. After leaving Commodore, Tramiel purchased Atari in 1984 which was after its prime but Tramiel got smaller successes such as the Amiga series under his belt. This shocking news has hit the world and there is no doubt that there will be a further and more complex examination of his life and work but for now, let us remember him for who he was and the legacy he left behind. Tramiel is survived by his wife and three sons and of course the legacy that shaped the industry’s present and future.
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